Artery Research

MR and PET vessel wall imaging have progressed substantially in the past decade and considerable technical improvements have been made in image acquisition and the development of cell and protein specific contrast agents that allow plaque characterization both on a morphological and molecular/cellular...

It is well established that aortic stiffness increases with age, and as a result of a number of risk factors including diabetes. Most quantitative measurements of arterial stiffness involve the use of in vivo techniques such as pulse wave velocity or ex vivo techniques such as tensile testing. However,...

Aortic stiffness is now established as an independent marker of cardiovascular aging and cardiovascular risk. However, the specific role of the proximal aorta, specifically the ascending aorta, remains understudied. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non invasive technique has recently been proposed...

Proteomics has made tremendous progress over the recent years. Initiatives, such as the Human Protein Atlas project, provide a great resource by capturing the in vivo location of proteins in different tissues and by making these data publically available (www.proteinatlas.org). Apart from the inherent...

The ground-breaking developments in non-invasive imaging over the last 50 years has provided a range of exciting new tools for physiologists and clinicians interested in large artery structure and function. The main focus of my lecture will be on MRI and PET/CT. MRI can be used in a number of different...

Introduction: Intravascular Elastography has proven to be a sensitive tool to identify vulnerable plaques in coronary arteries. It is a technique to assess the deformation (strain) due to the pulsatile blood pressure of the vessel wall and plaque. However, for screening asymptomatic patients, a noninvasive...

Blood pressure variability (BPV) is due to complex interaction of cardiac and vascular factors and is influenced significantly by baroreceptor control. The cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) has been shown to depend on vascular compliance and this may explain recent epidemiological association...

It is commonly assumed that pressure and flow in the arteries are purely the result of forward and backward travelling waves. We will show that various observations of arterial behaviour are difficult to explain using this assumption. In particular we will look at what happens to arterial pressure under...

Objectives: Parameters associated with elevated arterial stiffness and structural vascular remodeling, like aortic pulse wave velocity, have been identified as important contributors to predict cardiovascular outcome in end stage renal disease but less is known about their value in early stages of chronic...

Type 2 diabetes (DM2) and poor glycemic control adversely affect common carotid intima media thickness (IMT), considered marker of preclinical atherosclerosis. However, studies evaluating the effect of DM2 and glucose levels on IMT did not consider carotid diameter, known to affect IMT. A certain IMT...

Objectives: Left ventricular (LV) concentric remodeling predicts all cause and CV mortality in various subsets of patients. Large arteries stiffness determines cardiac afterload and therefore LV remodeling. Since elastic properties of the arterial wall vary along the aortic pathway, we hypothesized that...

Introduction: Recently, in a cross-sectional study, we have found arterial stiffness assessed as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) to be reduced in obese children and adolescents. Therefore, we wanted to investigate whether weight-reduction influenced cfPWV independently of blood pressure (BP). Methods:...

Objectives: To study the association between aortic stiffness, assessed by a single arm cuff oscillometric method, and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis (ACA) in a healthy population. Methods: We studied 234 normotensive subjects without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes (125±9/75±8 mm Hg,...

Objects: The purpose of this study was to calculate robust quantitative estimates of the predictive value of cardio-ankle vascular index, (CAVI) for future all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients. Subjects and methods: A total of 163 hemodialysis patients (102 males and 61 females, mean age 60±11...

Background: Increased arterial stiffness has been established in patients with COPD (1). However, the changes in aortic stiffness over time and contributing factors are still unknown. We hypothesise that there would be a significant change in aortic stiffness in COPD over one year. Methods: Aortic pulse...

Background: Systemic Lupus Erithematosus (SLE) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and early vascular aging. The aim of the study was to evaluate aortic and carotid stiffness, central blood pressure (BP) and wave reflection in women with SLE, in order to identify whether different vascular...

Aim: To evaluate vascular function and structure in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: 58 MCI and 22 controls (age 74±5vs75±4years, men 45vs59% p=ns) were recruited. Endothelial function in the brachial artery (BA) was studied by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and response to glyceryl...

Objective: We have previously shown that combined renin-angiotensin system blockade (RB) was less effective than sequential-nephron blockade (SNB) for controlling BP in resistant hypertension (RH). Whether this is accompanied with an improvement in the mechanical properties of large arteries is unknown. Design...

Objective: We previously showed that sequential-nephron blockade (SNB) was more effective than combined renin angiotensin system blockade (RB) for controlling BP in patients with resistant hypertension (RH). We assessed medication adherence (MA) on the antihypertensive (AHT) response to SNB/RB with a...

Objectives: up to date the assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk is based mainly on the presence of CV risk factors. However, many markers of subclinical atherosclerosis has been demonstrated as powerful predictors of CV events. Aim of our study was to evaluate if non invasive US parameters,...

Background: Vascular age may be a more reasonable conception to the patient than the information about the percentage of risk. Objective: To compare degrees of correlation between biological and vascular age with subclinical evidence of arterial disease in treated hypertensive patients. Methods: Subjects...

Increased arterial stiffness is one of the major alterations in arterial wall. It can be evaluated in non-invasively way by measuring the pulse wave velocity PWV in large arteries. Increased PWV is an independent predictor factor of cardiovascular complications in patients with hypertension and chronic...

Background: Although Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with retinal vascular disease, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear. Reduced retinal arteriolar diameter has been linked to high clinic blood pressure (BP) but the role of more sensitive measures of BP control have never been...

Objective: Wall-to-lumen ratio of retinal arterioles might serve as an in-vivo parameter of vascular damage. Previous studies have shown a correlation between retinal arteriolar structure and blood pressure values, measured both in the clinic and during 24 hours ambulatory monitoring. We analyzed the...

Aims: Flow-mediated vasodilatation of the brachial artery (FMD), a marker of conduit arterial endothelial function, and reactive hyperemia index (RHI), a marker of resistance arterial endothelial function, measured by peripheral arterial tonometry, are known to be weakly associated with each other, however,...

The aim of study was to assess the feasibility of 24-hour PWV analysis in management of patients with renal transplantation (RT). Overall, 41 patients were recruited from the transplant waiting list. All the measurements were performed before and at 1 and 20 weeks after RT. The Pulse Time Index of Norm...

Background: We investigate whether peripheral arterial disease (PAD) detected by ankle brachial index (ABI) <0.9 is independently associated with aortic stiffness and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] in elderly subjects free from PAD at baseline. Methods: The present study included 96 lecture attendees (“Continuing...

Objectives: The objectives of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of extra/-intracranial stenosis in patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) and to analyze how endothelial function and arterial stiffness are related to the presence of intracranial stenosis. Methods:...

Objective: The Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, legumes and vegetables is a healthy dietary pattern, gaining widely recognition as a non-pharmaceutical mean of cardiovascular disease prevention, due to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Erectile dysfunction (ED), represents an early marker...

Objectives: Baroreflex function was found to be impaired in schizophrenia and reduced baroreflex-sensitivity (BRS) was associated with increased mortality. Stiffening of the baroreceptor vessel wall, such as the carotid artery, may lead to reduced activation of the baroreceptors and blunt the baroreflex....

Background: Whether angiotensin receptor blockers can dose-dependently remodel the arterial wall during long-term treatment has only been rarely studied. Olmesartan (OM) has previously shown a favourable pharmacodynamic profile for such an action. Methods: In this phase 3, multi-centre, double-blind,...

Objectives: Evidence points towards a grading effect of the severity of ED in the predictive ability of this condition for CV events and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of all longitudinal studies for investigating the role of severity of ED in predicting risk of clinical events. Methods:...

Endothelial dysfunction, as assessed by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is an accepted method to measure microvascular reactivity, which correlates with cardiovascular risk factors in several patient populations. The aim of our prospective cohort study was to assess determinants of LDF parameters and to...

Objectives: To examine vascular characteristics in patients with type-2-diabetes (T2D) and resistant hypertension (RH) after a median period of 6 months intensified antihypertensive treatment. Methods: Patients were characterized as having RH based on ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPMs, Kivex®...

The relation between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and LV remodeling/dysfunction is confounded by the effect of blood pressure (BP). We evaluated the relationship between cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a less BP-dependent measure of the stiffness constant (β) of the aorta, iliac, femoral...

Objectives: Microvascular arterial remodelling has been linked with target organ damage and cardiovascular events. Our objective was to link retinal arterial remodelling assessed using a new interferometry technique (adaptative optics, AO) and ascending aortic function and geometry. Methods: 9 patients...

Objectives: The popliteal artery resemble the carotid artery in structure and function1. The aim of this study was to determine whether the popliteal artery resemble the carotid artery in structure and function in young and older Caucasian men and women. Methods: Hundred and twenty Caucasian men and...

Background: Statins are widely used for atherosclerotic plaques stabilization due to their cholesterol-lowering properties and pleotropic effects. However, the optimal drug regimens including dosage and length of treatment necessary to achieve significant improvement of ultrasound plaque morphology are...

Objectives: estimate determinants of thoracic aorta remodelling in healthy subjects. Methods: 139 subjects (63 women, mean age 39.9) were included. Aortic diameters were calculated at the level sinuses of Vasalva, junction, ascending, arch and descending aorta. AIx, Pi, central blood pressure (CBP)...

Objective: Morphological changes affecting small arteries are recognized surrogates of end-organ damage due to aging and/or hypertension. However, the corresponding structural modifications of the wall of microvessels are poorly known. Here, using adaptive optics (AO) infrared imaging, we analyzed the...

Introduction: Recently, a mouse model was developed showing spontaneous plaque rupture leading to stroke (ApoE−/−Fbn1C1039G+/− mouse). However, a longitudinal follow-up of these mice was hampered by the lack of an accurate in vivo method to visualize the cerebral vasculature. Methods: In this feasibility...

Objectives: Cerebral artery critical closing pressure (CCP) is an estimated parameter with no single accepted method of calculation. Variation between methods could be significant. This study investigates two models to estimate CCP using arterial blood pressure (BP) and middle cerebral artery flow velocity...

Objective: The Endocheck, embedded within the Vicorder device, uses cuff-based, pulse volume (PV) displacement to record brachial PV waveforms at baseline, and during reactive hyperaemia. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of the Endocheck method. Methods: The study consisted of two parts....

Objectives: Carotid artery stiffness has been suggested to alter local haemodynamic and arterial remodelling. It has also been shown to be associated with ischaemic stroke. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of measuring carotid pulse wave velocity (cPWV) using magnetic resonance...

Objectives: Determination of the cross-sectional mechanical properties of artery is crucial for correlating regional arterial stiffness with the biological components such as collagen, elastin, and deposited calcium. While ultrasound imaging has been used to determine these properties from the arterial...

Objectives: Assessment of pulse wave velocity (PWV) is normally used as a measure of arterial stiffness. However, measurement of change in PWV before and after a period of reactive hyperaemia may enable the technique to be harnessed as a measure of endothelial function as flow-mediated slowing (FMS)....

Technological developments made it possible to detect a longitudinal motion of the arterial wall. Our previously presented method can estimate this motion with high accuracy, but the method requires ultrasound images of very high quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate a novel method for estimating...

Background: Arterial stiffening is an important predictor of cardiovascular risk. In order to identify the pathogenic mechanisms it is necessary to characterise arterial micro-structure and –mechanical properties. Here, we test the hypothesis that chemical fixation (employed in microscopical preparation...

Objective: To compare measurements of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) using two cuff-based devices (Vicorder and XCEL), with a widely-used tonometric method (SphygmoCor). Methods: Comparative measurements of PWV were made using the SphygmoCor, XCEL and Vicorder devices in 91 individuals (mean±SD...

Background: Non-invasive measurement of Central Blood Pressure (CBP) in the clinic setting is the advantage of the validated, tonometer-based SphygmoCor device. Recently, a novel brachial cuff-based SphygmoCor device (XCEL) has been tested and validated against the tonometer-based method of CBP measurement....

Objectives Non-invasive, cuff-based systems are currently available for the assessment of central haemodynamic parameters. The aim of the current study was to compare measurements of cardiac output (CO) derived from pulse waveform analysis (Vicorder) with an inert gas re-breathing method (Innocor) in...

Objective: To investigate carotid strain and displacement and to assess their relations with arterial stiffness and cardiac systolic and diastolic parameters. Methods: Study population consisted of 40 healthy subjects (aged 17–38, median-22). All subjects underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography...

Background. Central aortic blood pressure (CBP) parameters are increasingly proved to be stronger predictors of cardiovascular outcomes than peripheral blood pressure parameters. Aortic stiffness, which increases with age, alters these parameters. The aim of this study was to compare the CBP parameters...

Introduction: Assessment of pulse wave velocity (PWV) is recognized as a marker of arterial stiffness within human medicine. Non-invasive evaluation of arterial structural changes in relation to atherosclerosis in porcine models of cardiovascular disease, would be valuable in longitudinal assessment...

Introduction: Grey scale median of the carotid artery intima-media complex (IM-GSM) is a recently introduced measurement thought to reflect the composition of the arterial wall. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) has been shown to be a predictor of a future stroke incidence, but the relationship...

Flow in the wake of a coronary artery stenosis induces a bruit in the 300–1500 Hz range that can be heard at the chest wall. It has been hypothesised that this sound is caused by turbulence-induced shear waves which travel through the soft tissue of the thorax. This contribution describes a computational...

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is considered a surrogate marker of arterial stiffness and could be useful for characterizing cardiovascular disease progression even in mouse models. Aim of this study was to develop an image process algorithm for assessing arterial PWV in mice using ultrasound (US) images...

Background: Turbulent flow downstream of atherosclerotic plaques produces low amplitude shear waves which travel through the chest and can be measured by skin sensors. This acoustic signature may provide a cheap non-invasive way to diagnose arterial disease. We report measurements of shearing oscillations...

Background: Some studies have shown the interest of measuring central blood pressure (CBP). Usually measured non-invasively through a function transfer by applanation tonometry (Sphygmocor®) CBP can also be calculated by echotracking (Art.Lab®) at the common carotid artery assuming the fact that the...

Objectives: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating lung vascular disease. Despite advances in the diagnosis of this condition, early detection and ascertainment of the genesis of pulmonary hypertension are still a difficult task.We supposed that the method of Single photon emission computed...

Background: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction, an independent predictor of heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular mortality, may be worse in South Asians and African-Caribbeans (than Europeans) as they have more adverse cardiovascular risk factor profiles. Objectives: We sought to investigate ethnic...

Objectives: A number of non-invasive devices have been used to measure arterial stiffness in COPD. The aim of this study was to compare the Complior device with the gold standard SphygmoCor Vx device, in patients with COPD and healthy volunteers. Methods: Aortic PWV was measured during a single visit...

Surgical or critically ill patients often require continuous assessment of cardiac output (CO) for diagnostic purposes or guiding therapeutic interventions. A new method of non-invasive estimation of CO, based on pressure wave analysis, has been recently developed, but its validity has been examined...

Background: Vasera is a machine developed to evaluate arterial stiffness by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV) and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), apparently independent of blood pressure (BP). The 4-cuff device measures right (R) and left (L) brachial and ankle BP, deriving the CAVI value and cardiac-ankle...

ARTIC is a new segmentation-based tracking algorithm used to automatically measure diameter, distension and intima media thickness (IMT) in arteries using B-mode ultrasound. ARTIC is initiated with a mark in the center of lumen and can then perform automatic measurements in about 1000 frames/second....

Objective: Atherosclerotic disease is caused by a combination of systemic, and local factors. The influence of local geometry (affecting local flow conditions) is often neglected. In contrast to the carotid artery, at the iliac-femoral artery region, a large degree of bilateral asymmetry exists. Therefore,...

Morning blood pressure surge is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, possibly due to its ability to reflect short-term BP variability and/or its link with arterial stiffness. The link between morning BP surge and vascular stiffness is not defined. 689 untreated hypertensives (48±10 years,...

Objectives: In resource-poor settings, aPWV’s prognostic power, independent of blood pressure (BP), has potential as an intervention target against ‘hypertension’ and diabetes (T2DM). We compared simple determinants of aPWV in 3 African-origin settings and British Europeans. Methods: Using methods standardised...

Introduction: The prognostic importance of aortic calcification is often attributed to its close association with atherosclerotic plaque but it may relate to its effects on aortic stiffness and be driven by processes distinct from those of atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to determine...

Objectives: Increased carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (PWVc-f) identify hypertensive patients at high CV risk, independently of systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE). Testosterone is associated with aortic stiffness, however whether this association is different in hypertensive patients with...

Background: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and its measurement is recommended by current hypertension guidelines. Few data are available on the progression of PWV over time. The aim of the present study was to assess the progression of...

Objectives: In developing countries, urbanization leads to changes in behavioural lifestyle and malnutrition which may lead to higher rates of cardiovascular disease .1,2 We aimed to assess the association between low body mass index and markers of cardiovascular function like pulse wave velocity in...

Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between glucose metabolism, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and aortic stiffness in non-diabetic middle aged metabolic syndrome (MetS) subjects. Methods: We studied a total of 486...

Objectives: To compare indices of vascular stiffness and markers of adiposity and inflammation in “healthy” subjects with/without components of the metabolic syndrome (met-x). Methods: Subjects satisfying ≥1 (≥1 Met-X;) and no criteria (0 Met-X) were recruited (IDF 2006). All were lifelong non-smokers,...

Objective: Telomere length (TL) has been identified as a marker for biological, cardiovascular aging and cardiovascular events risk. Increased arterial stiffness and intima-media thickness (IMT) are the main signs of arterial aging and strong predictors for the development of cardiovascular disease....

Few studies have examined whether central arterial wavTable:eform measures vary with ethnicity. We aimed to provide a more comprehensive examination of ethnic differences in several cardiovascular risk factors, which may reveal new ethnic variations. A cross-sectional (baseline) analysis of 5110 adults...

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) duration is related to early vascular aging and diabetic complications. Aortic stiffness is considered an integrated marker of the combined effect of cardiovascular risk factors, and could represent one of the links between diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To our knowledge,...

Background: In adults central blood pressure has stronger associations with cardiovascular outcomes than peripheral blood pressure, with some evidence that this difference is greater in mid- than older-aged adults. The relationship of central blood pressure to cardiovascular structure and function in...

Background: Limited data exists on arterial stiffness in sub-Sahara Africa where diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are increasing rapidly. We aimed to compare the indices of arterial stiffness among type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and non-diabetes subjects (NDM), without hypertension, in Ghana. Method: Thirty...

Objects: Recently, a novel arterial stiffness parameter called cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) has been developed. This study was conducted in order to elucidate the predictive value of CAVI for future cardiovascular events in 1000 persons. Subjects and methods: A total of 1,000 outpatients (513...

Background: Hypertension exacerbates cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) but the ACCORD trial suggested limited impact on CVS events by hypertensive treatment. Our hypothesis is that arterial stiffness, measured as aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) may underlie these events. Few data exist...

Subjects of African and African-Caribbean ethnicity have been reported to have lower plasma renin activity (PRA), decreased endothelium-dependent vasomotor function and increased intima-media thickening relative to white European subjects. We explored whether vascular structure and function might be...

Objectives: Hypertension is associated with increased arterial stiffness, which is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. Aortic systolic blood pressure (SBP) and/or pulse pressure (PP) better predicts cardiovascular events than peripheral blood pressure. The present study compared the discriminative...

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between AASI and age in a cohort of stage I hypertensives < 50 years of age and to investigate its predictive capacity for future established hypertension. Methods: We studied 1157 subjects from the HARVEST study (mean follow-up 5.9...

Background: Few studies assessed arterial stiffness in Black hypertensive patients Born and living in sub-Saharan Africa, where cardiovascular disease reaches epidemic proportions. Methods: The Newer versus Older Antihypertensive Agents in African Hypertensive Patients (NOAAH) trial had recruited native...

Objective: Chromosome 9p21 variants showed robust association with coronary heart disease in genome-wide association studies, but questions remain on the mechanism. We investigated the relationship of 9p21 locus with (1) angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) burden and progression to myocardial...

Twenty-four hour urinary albumin excretion reflects general endothelial damage, relates to arterial stiffness, and predicts adverse health outcomes. Albumin determined from easily collected spot urine samples is also predictive. No prognostic evidence for albumin excretion from any means of urine collection...

Objective: Hypertension is a major risk factor of cardiovascular events. To identify potential sex specific differences in the association of prior blood pressure (BP) to arterial stiffness, we studies the relative change of lumen diameter for a given pulse pressure (distensibility) in participants of...

Background: Arterial diastolic asymptotic pressure (P∞) is the pressure reached when the heart stops beating. Determination of the reservoir pressure (Pr) requires a value of P∞ which was previously assumed (1), calculated (2) and measured (3, 4) as 0, 35, 14, 24 mmHg respectively. The effects of varying...

Objective: To investigate whether arterial distensibility in hypertensive premenopausal women differs from that observed in men and whether these differences may vary according to age. Methods: We studied 385 young stage 1 hypertensives from the HARVEST study. Arterial distensibility predictors were...

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism influences lipid metabolism, but its association with essential hypertension (EH) is controversial. The objective of this study was to examine the association between ApoE polymorphisms and EH in Bulgarian population. We carried out a case-control association study...

Objective: We assessed association of retinal micro-vessel diameter with central and peripheral BP. Methods: We post-processed retinal photographs taken in 514 subjects randomly selected from a Flemish population (mean age, 50.6 years; 50.8% women), using IVAN software to generate retinal arteriolar...

Background: The determinants of aortic stiffness have been elucidated in several studies, while few data are available for carotid stiffness. Aim of the study was to identify the main determinants of carotid arterial stiffness parameters in a general population in Northern-Italy(Vobarno Study). Methods:183subjects(61%...

Background: As sub Saharan Africa (sSA) goes through demographic and epidemiological transition, accurate data on disease prevalence are required to guide allocation of scarce health resources between declining but still important infectious disease and emerging chronic conditions such as hypertension....

Objectives: High blood pressure (BP) levels have been reported to have an inverse association with the health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Moreover, the value of central beyond peripheral haemodynamics has been illustrated by a series of studies. We sought to investigate potential correlations between...

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of ≥3 risk factors (RF). The presence of subclinical organ damage increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with MS. Arterial stiffness and wave reflections are independent predictors of cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to...

Objectives: Fibulin-1 is an extracellular matrix protein that is increased in the arterial wall in diabetes. It is also present in plasma, where it is positively related to blood pressure and predicts mortality. In addition, plasma levels are associated with heart stiffness indices. The aim of this study...

Objective: Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have an increased risk of CVD, but previous studies have not shown a worsened risk profile regarding traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The objective was to investigate whether baseline CRP predicts future increased central arterial stiffness. Methods:...

Background: The aortic valve is normally tricuspid but may vary in that it can be made up of 1, 2 or 4 leaflets with each of these often associated with aortopathy, most commonly aortic dilatation. In patients with a bicuspid valve this association has been explained in part by molecular changes taking...

Objectives: Diabetes is a complex disease associated with cardiovascular complications. This study compared baroreceptor sensitivity (BRS) in diabetic rats with and without anti-hypertensive treatment. Methods: Diabetes (induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at 6 weeks of age) and control...

Objectives: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is due to mutations in genes PKD1 and PKD2 encoding polycystin-1 and -2, which transduce flow variations into cellular signals in the renal epithelium but also in vascular endothelium. However, the impact of polycystin deficiency on the...

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and hyperparathyroidism as well as their relationship to blood pressure and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 134 treated hypertensives (76 women,...

Objectives: Diabetes is associated with cardiovascular risk and increased arterial stiffness. Whether large artery stiffness is associated with diabetes per se or concomitant hypertension is currently unknown. Methods: Male, Wistar rats (6 weeks) were divided into control (n=8), control with anti-hypertensive...

Objectives: Increased arterial stiffness (AS) is the most prominent feature of arterial aging. It has been shown an association of AS not only with age, but also with insulin resistance (IR). Leukocyte telomere length (TL) has been proposed as an independent predictor of CVD. The origin of the association...

Objectives: We evaluate the effect of NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) and 7-nitroindazole (7NI) administered individually and/or together on cardiovascular system of adult Wistar rats. Methods: L-NAME (50 mg/kg/day in tap water) and 7NI (10 mg/kg/day in pellets) was administered to Wistar rats...

Objective: Large arteries stiffness is a feature of arterial aging and a predictor of cardiovascular diseases. The length of telomere (TL) in leukocytes is widely considered as a biomarker for cellular aging, cardiovascular aging and cardiovascular diseases. High concentrations of urea is known to increase...

Introduction: Accurate determination of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) in mice is not straightforward, due to the high resolution needed in both time and space. We compared different techniques in control and aneurysmatic mice. Methods: N=30 male, 18 weeks-old C57Bl/6 mice were included. N=20 animals...

Background: Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in type 2 diabetes, and both endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness may contribute in the pathogenesis. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Aim: To evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation...

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) was shown to be effective in reducing peripheral BP in treatment resistant hypertension. Accumulating data suggest that central pressures may be a better predictor of cardiovascular events and outcomes than the corresponding peripheral pressure. PP amplification is...

Background: Soluble Klotho is an anti-ageing phosphaturic protein associated with cardiovascular and renal protection. In-vitro and in-vivo studies have demonstrated that rennin-angiotensin-system (RAS) blockade increases soluble Klotho levels. The effect of RAS blockers on soluble Klotho in patients...

Objectives: Arterial elasticity is determined by passive mechanical properties of wall components modulated by neurogenic effects on smooth muscle. We assessed denervation effects on viscoelastic properties of the aorta of Lewis Polycystic Kidney (LPK) disease rats, compared to controls (Lewis). Methods:...

Objective: Aortic stiffness evaluation is recommended in standard care as hypertension target organ damage. The main determinants of aortic stiffness are age and blood pressure. We aimed to evaluate the impact of short-term extracellular volume changes induced by dietetic and pharmacological interventions...

Hypertension is a contributing factor to pathophysiology of vascular damage and accelerated arterial stiffening. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors are widely used for treatment of persistent hypertension. Along with conventional antihypertensive therapy, nutritional intervention...

Objective: The Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) enzyme is involved in degrading extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen and elastin. Increased MMP-9 levels are associated with increased vascular remodelling and arterial stiffness. Exercise improves age-related vascular stiffening. It...

Objectives: Drugs opposing the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) inhibit angiogenesis slowing down and eventually stopping solid tumors growth. Nevertheless these drugs can cause hypertension (that seems to be correlated with cancer outcome) and cardiac dysfunction. We hypnotize...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mild uremia on aortic and heart remodelling in the rat. Methods: Mild uremia was induced by reduction of renal mass after 5/6 nephrectomy (NE). Rats with proteinuria >300 mg/24h were included in further investigations. Four weeks...

Objectives: Androgen deficiency confers an independent risk for cardiovascular events and total mortality. Hypertension, a major contributory factor to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), has been associated with increased prevalence of low testosterone. We investigated whether low androgen...

Objectives: To measure the extent of correction of vitamin D deficiency and hyperparathyroidism after treatment with calcifediol as well as their relationship to blood pressure and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Longitudinal study that...

Background: Dietary inorganic nitrate is reduced to (nitric oxide) NO in the body. Beetroot is a rich source of dietary inorganic nitrate and has been shown to lower brachial blood pressure (BP) by this mechanism. The effect on aortic (central) BP, which may be a better predictor of cardiovascular disease,...

Background: Bezafibrate and Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) were known to decrease serum triglyceride. And, EPA administration for 5 years was reported to improve cardiovascular events by JLIT study. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was a new index reflecting arterial stiffness from the origin of the aorta...

Vascular calcification and hemodynamical abnormalities lead to reduced arterial elasticity in end stage renal disease. Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) predicts cardiovascular mortality in advance stages of renal failure possibly indicating more advanced vascular calcification. The relation of FGF23...

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is the commonest complication of diabetes. Previous studies from our group have identified diabetes-evoked changes in copper homeostasis that cause accumulation of chelatable-Cu(II) in the heart (1). We also showed that treatment by Cu(II)-selective chelation with TETA...

Objectives: To examine the impact of glycaemic homeostasis on arterial stiffness and cardiac diastolic function in healthy subjects. Methods: Subjects (100 male & 115 female) were normotensive and normolipidaemic and had normal oral glucose tolerance test responses. Carotid-femoral arterial stiffness...

Objective: Oxidative stress and vascular inflammation are increased in hypertension. These factors may contribute to target organ damage and increased cardiovascular risk in these patients. We studied the effect of four classes of antihypertensive drugs on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in...

Background/aims: The impact of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection on atherosclerosis is controversial. In this pilot clinical study, we examined whether HCV patients significantly differed in markers of subclinical atherosclerosis compared to patients with alcohol-related chronic liver disease. Methods:...

Objectives: The metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of risk factor including abdominal fat, hypertension, dyslipidemia and raised fasting plasma glucose, is associated with modifications in the arterial wall, endothelial dysfunction and atherothrombosis. To explore the course of events we characterized...

Rationale: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic modulation plays an important role in arterial stiffening associated with ageing. Serum response factor (SRF) is a major transcription factor regulating smooth muscle (SM) genes involved in maintenance of the contractile state of VSMCs. Objective:...

Objectives: Traditional outcomes after vascular intervention include vessel patency, limb salvage rates and mortality but correlate poorly with functional goals. Patent-oriented outcomes are patient-reported functional outcomes. The aim of this study is divided into 2 complementary parts: Part A: To...

Background: Nitroglycerin (NTG) reduces cardiac pre-load and after-load through venodilation and arterial dilation respectively but the relative contributions of these effects to reduction in myocardial wall stress is unknown. Methods: We estimated myocardial wall stress from transthoracic echocardiographic...

Objective: Studies on changes in arterial stiffness and wave reflections during pregnancy are limited to cross-sectional studies. Our aim was to investigate maternal hemodynamic and cardiovascular adaptations at each trimester of pregnancy in a prospective longitudinal case-control study. Methods: Cardiovascular...

Objectives: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are susceptible to exercise-induced albuminuria even at submaximal exercise, but the mechanisms are unknown. Recent data indicates that T2DM patients have raised central blood pressure (BP) during submaximal exercise and this could contribute to renal...

Pregnancy is associated with profound vascular adaptive changes. Cross-sectional studies show greater arterial stiffness in gestational diabetes than in normal pregnancy. However, the time course of maternal cardiovascular hemodynamics in normal and diabetic pregnancy can only be appreciated in longitudinal...

Objective: Carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV) is a regional marker of vascular ageing: our aim was to take advantage of Magnetic Resonance (MRI) and High resolution Echotracking (HRE) in order to non-invasively investigate the effect of age and blood pressure (BP) on different segments of large arteries. Methods:...

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of participation in Ironman triathlon competition on carotid properties, in relation to hemodynamic load. Methods: 28 male triathletes (41±8 years), participating at the Ironman competition (swimming 3.8 km, cycling 180 km, running 42,2...

Background: A hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) at moderate intensity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and mortality, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. This study sought to determine the haemodynamic predictors of exercise blood pressure (BP) and an HRE. Methods:...

Objectives: The reference standard for non-invasive central blood pressure (BP) measurement is radial tonometry calibrated using brachial BP. Brachial-to-radial-systolic-BP-amplification (Bra-Rad-SBPAmp) may introduce error into central BP measurement but the magnitude of Bra-Rad-SBPAmp in healthy people...

Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a measure of vascular organ damage. After a cardiac event, patients can be proposed to follow an educational and exercise program to prevent future events and improve their cardiovascular risk. We hypothesized that the improvement of aerobic performance will depend...

Objectives: We recently found significant age-related increases in brachial-to-radial systolic blood pressure amplification (Bra-Rad-SBPAmp), and this has implications for correct central SBP estimation. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have vascular irregularities that may alter Bra-Rad-SBPAmp...

Objective: To examine changes in ventriculo-arterial coupling (VAC) and left ventricular systolic function (LVFSYS) after a period of intensified antihypertensive treatment in patients with hypertension and type-2-diabetes. Methods: Patients were categorized as controlled- (CH), uncontrolled- (UH) or...

Objective: Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are at increased risk of CVD. The etiological mechanism or how to reduce risk is not known. Exercise can reduce CV risk in the general population. The objective was to test whether high intensity aerobic exercise reduces central arterial stiffness. Methods:...

Objective: There are sex differences in resting central pulse wave velocity (cPWV) but it is unclear if there are sex differences in the response to exercise. We evaluated potential sex differences of two measures of arterial stiffness and central pressures before and following maximal exercise. Methods:...

Aim: Important prognostic significance of day-night brachial blood pressure (BP) decline for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been established. It is little known about diurnal variations of arterial stiffness parameters – augmentation index (AI@75) and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) as the...

Objectives: We investigate associations between central hemodynamics and complications in type 1 diabetes. Methods: Cross-sectional study, 676 type 1 diabetes patients, mean±SD age 55±13, 375(56%) male. Central hemodynamics measured by pulse wave analyses (PWA) (SphygmoCor (Atcor Medical, Australia)...

Objectives: To examine the relationship between arterial stiffness and diastolic function in healthy normotensive subjects. Methods: For this study, 43 male (40±10 years) and 64 female (40±9 years) subjects were recruited. All were lifelong non-smokers, normolipidaemic, normoglycaemic and had normal...

To what degree elevated pulsatile components of blood pressure arise from a primary interaction of ventricular contraction with the impedance of the arterial tree or from more complex phenomena involving backward wave travel in the arterial tree is unknown. We used wave intensity analysis to explore...

Background: Timing errors during Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) support can be detrimental when interfering with cardiac function. In vivo hemodynamics and left ventricular (LV) function were monitored during premature IAB inflation, and the associated mechanisms investigated with Wave Intensity Analysis. Methods:...

Objectives: Erectile dysfunction (ED) represents an early marker of vascular damage and a potent factor for future cardiovascular events. Our study aims to investigate interrelationships between ED, arterial stiffness and left ventricular geometry. Methods: We analyzed data from 85 ED patients (mean...

Central blood pressure (BP) is recognised as a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to have a beneficial effect on CVD. However, consumption of a lipid-rich meal may exert the opposite effect. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine whether...

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of ivabradine (I) and atenolol (A) on central aortic pressure in patients with stable angina and arterial hypertension (AH). Methods: The study was conducted on 31 hypertensive patients (57.1% male), mean age 61.9 ± 8.4 years, with angina pectoris of II-III...

Background: Clinical studies revealed age and pathological-related arterial stiffening. Arterial stiffening is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), which reflects both central elastic and peripheral muscular arterial stiffness, has been applied...

Background: Diurnal variations of brachial blood pressure have important prognostic implications. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in day- and night-time values of brachial and central hemodynamic parameters in two groups of borderline and resistant hypertensives. Methods: We performed...

Aim: Ambulatory monitoring of central blood pressure (BP) is a new technique for evaluation of antihypertensive drugs efficacy. The aim of the study was to assess changes in ambulatory brachial and central BP after indapamide SR adjunction to treatment regimen in hypertensive patients. Methods: Indapamide...

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterised by obesity and a high prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) but this may not translate into increased cardiovascular events. The energy and timing of waves in large arteries may be quantified by separated wave analysis from wave intensity (WI)...

Objectives: Music has been correlated to cardiovascular health and used as additional therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease, however, few are known on the impact of music on arterial stiffness and central hemodynamics which are both predictors of cardiovascular risk. We investigated the effect...

Objectives: To examine the role of physical activity in vascular stiffness and markers of adiposity and inflammation in “healthy” subjects. Methods: Seventy-nine (51 male & 28 female) healthy subjects were recruited. All were lifelong non-smokers, normotensive, normolipidaemic and normoglycaemic....

Introduction: The increased risk of stroke following a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) is well established. Central aortic pressure, a marker of arterial stiffness, is emerging as a predictor of cardiovascular events including stroke. Additionally brachial Blood Pressure (BP) measurements may not accurately...

Objects: Waon-Therapy was invented for the therapy of heart failure by Dr. Tei. The purpose of this study was to confirm the efficacy of Waon therapy and to clarify the role of Waon-therapy in the arterial stiffness monitoring with cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). Subjects and methods: Study 1 Subjects...

Objectives: We sought to investigate whether reverse dipping status is associated with self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods: BP was evaluated non-invasively under 24-hour ABPM with a brachial cuff-based automatic oscillometric device (Mobilo-O-Graph, IEM); all subjects maintained...

In case of vascular weakness or thrombosis stents are implanted and brace vessels from the inside to assure the proper blood flow. A widespread method to monitor the state of blood vessels in terms of their stiffness and diameter is to measure the pulse wave velocity (PWV). The stiffer or the narrower...

Aortic stiffness assessed by carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) often fails to predict cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality in the very elderly. This may be due to the non-linear association between PWV and compliance, or to blood pressure decrease in the frailest subjects. Moreover, total...

Objectives: Human carotid arteries exhibit viscoelastic behaviour characterised by hysteresis of the pressure-diameter relation and longitudinal wall motion1. Ultrasound techniques have been used to measure vessel wall displacements, as well as pressure and diameter waveforms, from which viscoelastic...

The increase of arterial volume during the systole (‘pulse volume’) is essential for buffering the pulsatile ventricular output. Objectives: Deriving some mechanical properties of arteries by assuming pulse volume homeostasis. Methods: A model that includes a generalized nonlinear relationship between...

Background: Arterial stiffness measures have a known dependency on actual blood pressure, requiring due consideration in risk assessment and treatment monitoring. Given the impact of age on arterial wall structural properties, this pressure-dependency might significantly differ between younger and older...

Objectives: While in young subjects, central pressure and flow peaks occur simultaneously and before time to return of reflected pressure (Tr), Tr progressively shifts towards early systole with aging, and eventually occurs before pressure peak. Consequently such parameters along with the corresponding...

Background: Aortic stiffness is clinically important, but measurement can be time consuming. The ‘reflected wave transit time’ (RWTT) is thought to represent aortic stiffness and, since this can be measured quickly by brachial cuff oscillometry, could be a useful new test. This study aimed to compare...

Background: Even after successful treatment of aortic coarctation, a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remains. Uncertainty exists on the factors contributing to this increased risk among others the presence of (1) a residual narrowing, leading to an additional resistance in the arterial...

Arterial pressure and flow waves travel and are reflected. Waveform analysis and wave separation gave insight into these phenomena and parameters thus obtained are indicators of cardiovascular events. However, the interpretation of forward and reflected waves is still not generally agreed upon. We used...

Objectives: Examine the effect of erroneous estimation of wave speed (C) on the magnitude and time of the separated pressure (P) and velocity (U) in arteries. Methods: Pressure and flow were measured in the aorta of 11 dogs and C has been determined using the PU-loop technique. The waves were separated...

The method used for pulse transit time (PTT) estimation, affects critically the accuracy of pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements. The existing methods for PTT estimation yield often substantially different PWV values. Since there is no analytical way to determine PTT in vivo, these methods cannot be...

Background: Wave intensity analysis (WIA) is a mathematical tool used to study wave reflections in the arteries. Reflections are believed to contribute to BP augmentation and are also independent predictors of cardiovascular risk. Until now, the use of this technique has been largely confined to the...

Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a sensitive marker of arterial stiffness in children. In our previous study we have presented reference tables for PWV normal values in children. A recent consensus document provides arguments for the use of 80% of the direct carotid femoral distance as the most accurate...

Objectives: PWV can be measured by velocity-encoded phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MR) in a single location. One method utilises the change in flow (ΔQ) divided by the change in area (ΔA) at the beginning of systole, when it is assumed that only forward running waves are present. However,...

Background: Type-B aortic dissections (TBADs) show a high morbidity and mortality in the long-term follow up. The role of and interaction between haemodynamics (pressure and flows), mechanics (wall compliance) and morphology (communication between false lumen (FL) and true lumen (TL)) is poorly understood,...

Objective and methods: We have recently shown that the longitudinal displacements of the arterial wall, i.e. the displacements along the artery during the cardiac cycle, undergo profound changes in response to catecholamines. The relations between longitudinal displacements of the arterial wall and wall...

Background: We recently found in patients that the pressure dependency of arterial stiffness is age-dependent, explaining clinically observed changes in stiffness with blood pressure (BP) lowering. Pulse wave velocity, BP and age found in the Reference Values for Arterial Stiffness Collaboration show...

To date, regional aortic stiffness can be evaluated by the reference tonometric technique via the pulse wave velocity (PWV) measured in two points: the carotid and the femoral arteries. Based on a similar intersecting tangent algorithm, we have developed a new method for the determination of carotid-femoral...

Background: Central (aortic) blood pressure (BP) indices independently predict cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, but the physiological mechanisms underlying aortic BP waveform morphology are subject to debate. The ‘aortic reservoir’ and ‘excess pressure’ are proposed as determinants of aortic...

In recent years, great attention has been placed on local carotid elasticity. Carotid pulse wave velocity (cPWV) can be considered a surrogate marker for carotid stiffness evaluation. Aim of this study was to compare four different techniques for carotid stiffness assessment. Ten young healthy subjects...

Aortic pulse pressure and other pulsatile components of the aortic pressure pulse are important predictors of cardiovascular outcomes, however the properties of the arterial tree that determine the aortic pulse are still poorly understood. We used numerical modelling to predict aortic pulse morphology...

Background: Finger-toe pathway could represent a good alternative to assess the arterial stiffness conveniently. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the pOpmètre which measures finger-toe pulse wave velocity (ft-PWV). Methods: The pOpmètre® has 2 photodiodes sensors, positioned on the...

Introduction: Obesity is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Arterial stiffness (AS) is an independent cardiovascular risk factor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the SA in obese patients. Patients and methods: AS was measured in 212 participants divided into...

Background: Recently the pulse wave velocity (PWV) threshold of hypertensive target organ damage (TOD) was set at 10 m/s. New 24 – h monitors (e.g., BPLab-Vasotens) provide not only 1 PWV but several PWV measurements over a 24 – h period. The new Pulse Time Index of Norm (PTIN) can be calculated from...

Objectives. To combine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), which provides accurate and non-invasive evaluation of flow, with applanation tonometry to assess aortic characteristic impedance (Zc) in time domain while comparing six different methods. Methods. We studied 72 healthy volunteers (31women,...

Evaluating diastolic function in children remains a topic of clinical discussion and a gold standard measurement technique is still lacking. Wave intensity analysis can provide insight into ventricular filling mechanisms and ventriculo-vascular coupling, and it can be derived directly from cardiovascular...

Objectives. Inhomogeneities of wall characteristics may relate to plaques in a nearby vessel. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between spatial inhomogeneities of intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) and plaques in the internal carotid artery. Methods....

Objectives. Myocardial fibrosis occurs early in hypertension and plays a major role in CV disease. Our goal was to assess the mutual influence of blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors on diffuse myocardial fibrosis, as assessed non-invasively from Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance...

Objectives. Retinal vessel diameters are a valid tissue biomarker for cardiovascular risk assessment. We aimed to assess the acute effects of different exercise intensities on retinal vessel diameters, and whether these effects differ between seniors and young adults. Methods. In this cross-over study,...

Aims. We compared associations between common carotid intima-media thickness(IMT)) and coronary artery calcification(CAC)) and measures of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in 3 ethnic groups. Methods. A community-based sample of 1331 men and women (47%White European (WE), 36% South Asian (SA) and 16% African...

Relations between central versus brachial blood pressure and major cardiovascular disease (CVD) events remain controversial. Central measures derived using radial tonometry and a generalized transfer function as implemented using the SphygmoCor device may better predict CVD risk compared to central pressures...

Large artery stiffening is widely accepted as a determinant of ISH in the population with a predictive power of CV events has been shown to be beyond traditional risk scores. However, its clinical role in is still limited perhaps due to the lack of established reference values and methodological uniformity....

Objectives. Retinal vessel analysis is a valid diagnostic tool to detect subclinical signs of atherosclerosis in the cerebrovascular microcirculation as early as childhood. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between specific obesity-related biomarkers and retinal vessel diameters...

Objective. We have shown that regression of brachial stiffness is inversely related to aortic stiffness in dialysis patients. In this study, we sequentially examine the impact of aortic stiffness, brachial stiffness and aortic-brachial stiffness mismatch on mortality in dialysis patients. Design and...

Mean ambulatory pulse pressure (PP) is a potent predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Objectives. Investigating prognostic significance of elastic and non-elastic PP components Methods. Using a generalized nonlinear pressure–volume relationship in arteries (Fig. 1), PP can be split into...

Objectives. The BPGUIDE study was a prospective, blinded-endpoint study in 286 hypertensive patients randomised to treatment decisions guided by best-practice usual care (n = 142) or in addition by central BP measurement (n = 144; using SphygmoCor) over twelve months. This study aimed to undertake a...

Background. Evidence-based thresholds for risk stratification based on pulse pressure (PP) are currently unavailable. Methods. To derive outcome-driven thresholds for the 24-h ambulatory PP, we analyzed 9938 people randomly recruited from 11 populations (47.3% women). After age stratification (<60...

Arterial stiffness (AS) is generally measured by regional arterial pulse wave velocity (rPWV) or locally by arterial distensibility. Although often used interchangeably, some studies show a weak correlation between these well accepted AS index depending on population. Thus, we aim to investigate in an...

Background. Arterial stiffness is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is considered as the ‘gold standard’ measurement method. However cfPWV does not assess the stiffness of the proximal aorta and its sensitivity at higher...

It is known that telomere length (TL) shortening is a marker of cell aging, which accelerated and progresses in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), despite the patient’s age, leading to the vascular aging. The aim of the study was to compare the vascular and cellular aging in patients with and without...

Objective. Hypertension is a frequent side effect of antiangiogenic drugs (AAD). Targeting VEGF pathway may also affect large and small artery properties, along with or independently of blood pressure changes. We hypothesized that large and small artery property changes in response to AAD reflect their...

Objective. Whilst the effects of heart rate (HR) on the cardiovascular system have been studied cross-sectionally or during exercise, the effect of acute, sympathetic-independent changes in HR on arterial stiffness, cardiac output (CO), mean pressure (MAP) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) has not...

Background. No longitudinal study addressed whether systolic blood pressure level (SBPL) or variability (SBPV) predict arterial properties or vice versa. Methods and Results. In families randomly recruited from a Flemish population, we determined SBPL and SBPV from 5 consecutive blood pressure readings....

Introduction. Assessing arterial properties and hemodynamics in response to a physiological perturbation might provide additional information on an individual’s “vascular health”. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of measuring changes in carotid stiffness and hemodynamics in response...

Objective. Physical activity (PA) has been associated with reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, improvements in conventional risk factors do not explain the full benefit of PA on CVD risk. Therefore, we examined the association between PA and central haemodynamics to provide new insight into...

Background. Pulse wave analysis (PWA) using cuff based methods emerged within the last years. Compared to traditional sensors used in PWA like catheters and piezo gauges very little is known on the frequency response of cuff based systems according to standard measurement and systems theory. Therefore...

Background. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is widely recognised as an effective surgical method in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with significant internal carotid artery stenosis. Although the association between vulnerable carotid plaques and stroke is well established, little is known about...

Background. No prospective study has examined whether markers of the central hemodynamics, e.g., central pulse pressure, might be a more robust marker of change in the cardiac hemodynamic load, estimated by the change during the study period of the serum levels of N-terminal fragment B-type natriuretic...

Background. Organic nitrates (e.g. nitroglycerin) are highly selective dilators of muscular conduit arteries. By contrast, the endogenous inorganic nitrite anion (NO2−) is thought to be a hypoxia-dependent dilator of small resistance arterioles, via its reduction to vasodilating nitric oxide (NO) by...

Cardiovascular fibrosis is a hallmark of aging. We had previously demonstrated, that a steroidal endogenous Na/K-ATPase inhibitor, marinobufagenin (MBG), plays a central role in cardiac fibrosis occurring in the context of experimental uremic cardiomyopathy (Hypertension 2007;49:215–24) via participation...

Background. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk that is not explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors, as well as an increased arterial stiffness. In this study, we investigated the relationship between inflammation and arterial stiffening and...

Background. The anticontractile effect of perivascular adipose tissue(PVAT) is lost in obese patients due to adipocyte hypertrophy, leading to hypoxia, inflammation, and oxidative stress(Circulation 2009; 119(12):1661–1670).We recently demonstrated that the property of PVAT, partially maintained in an...

It is commonly assumed that pressure and flow in the arteries are purely the result of forward and backward travelling waves. We will show that various observations of arterial behaviour are difficult to explain using this assumption. In particular we will look at what happens to arterial pressure under...

Background: The methodology of the gold standard for measuring aortic stiffness, carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), has been revised in respect to the choice of distance measure. In order to clarify whether increased aortic stiffness is present in obese children and adolescents we investigated...

Background: Augmentation index (AIx) is regarded as a marker of systemic arterial stiffness. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have increased arterial stiffness, but not AIx, which suggests that mechanisms contributing to AIx in T2DM may differ from healthy individuals and be unrelated to...

Clinically revealed, non-uniform distribution of peripheral vascular diseases throughout the arterial tree suggests that haemodynamic forces can modulate the endothelial dysfunction. In the present study the bilateral differences of deep (DFA) and superficial (SFA) femoral artery blood velocity waveform...

Background: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disorder in which infectious agents are incriminated as contributors. It is suggested that Helicobacter pylori may be a risk factor of atherosclerosis. Methods: This study was performed whether there are differences between coronary artery with and without...

Background: Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. There has been no previous research comparing the acute changes to arterial stiffness following aerobic exercise in different groups of athletes. The aim of this study was to compare the acute effect of aerobic exercise...

Background: Reflected pressure waves from the lower body to the heart in overweight subjects return early and augment aortic systolic pressure and increase left ventricular (LV) afterload and wasted energy. Methods: Central aortic pressure waves were generated from radial artery pressure waves recorded...

Background: There are very limited data on the day-to-day variability and virtually no data on within-subject measurement variation of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-fPWV). Therefore, we conducted this study in healthy volunteers to measure both day-to-day variability and day-to-day within-subject...

Background: The recommendation for carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is to use a calliper to measure the aortic length as a straight line. In adults, it has been shown that tape follows the body contours potentially making the distance longer – ultimately a higher cfPWV – interpreted as a higher...